Advantages

Disadvantages

Lovely bottle!

Christian Lacroix Rouge is a fragrance that was released in 2007 by French fashion designer, Christian Lacroix for Avon. The perfume is only available to buy from Avon and is not available in store.My mother is an Avon representative and I often receive Avon perfumes and products as gifts.

I received a bottle of Rouge a few years ago. It comes in a bright red box with a lovely black fancy pattern on. The pattern continues on the matte card inside of the box.

~ Price and availability ~As previously mentioned this fragrance is only available from Avon - either from an Avon representative through the Avon brochure or online at avonshop.co.ukIt is currently available online at the reduced price of £12.00, but it usually sells for £20.00. I would hurry if you want a bottle as this is a good discount.

~ Bottle ~The bottle is truly beautiful. It comes as a 50ml eau de parfum. The bottle is made of red glass and is a sort of teardrop shape. There is a black pattern on the front of the bottle, the same as that that appears on the box and the words 'Christian Lacroix' with 'ROUGE' written underneath. The pattern and the writing are small and the tiny print pattern looks mega cute on the bottle. A transparent red plastic lid covers the spray button. The lid is about an inch wide, which is wider than the top of the bottle and I think it is a nice finishing touch to the bottle.I really love the bottle. The tiny pattern is mega cute and the shape is nice as well making it a favourite on my dressing table.

~ Scent ~The bottle being beautiful, I really wanted to like this scent. It is described by Avon, 'a burst of exuberant spices unveils a floral heart wrapped in the most sensual cashmere woods'.The scent offers top notes of orange peel, white pepper and red peony, heart notes of osmanthus flower, Japanese plum blossom, water lily, tulips and Spanish carnation and base notes of cashmere wood, patchouli leaves and musk.To me the scent is warming, spicy and sensual. I can detect a floral element to it, but the spice is the the overriding element in this fragrance. I am not a fan of spicy scents. I find they can be quite masculine. While I wouldn't describe this pefume as masculine, the spice in it is just a little bit too much for me. I would prefer it to be just a little bit lighter.I think this scent would suit women in their 20's through to more mature women in their 50's. I think it is a bit spicy for a teenage audience and even too spicy for me - I'm in my mid-20's.I really want to like this fragrance, but it just isn't to my taste. It tends to be one I return to on the odd occasion and then it is not used again for months and months.I find that the perfume is long lasting and can still be detected after hours on the skin.I feel it is more of a evening wear perfume. I find it is bit heavy for the day time for me.

~ Overall ~Overall I am still holding out for my tastes changing so that I can learn to love the spicy scent of this perfume. The bottle is gorgeous and it is a real shame that I am not so keen on the fragrance. If you like spicy fragrances I recommend that you give this one a try. It is probably milder than I am making it sound in this review. It is fairly subtle, but it is just not to my taste.Christian Lacroix have released two more fragrances for women through Avon called Absynthe, which comes in an almost identical lime green coloured bottle and Nuit, which comes in an almost identical purple coloured bottle. I have sampled both and liked them, so it may be a good idea to add them to my dressing table so that I can have the beautiful scent to match the beautiful bottle!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Attractive bottle and warm long lasting fragrance

I like browsing through the Avon catalogues and ordering different items to try. I had had some of this perfume a few years ago but decided to revisit it as it was one I had been very fond of.

===The Brand===

Avon is a long established direct selling network which used to sell just door-to-door but you can order directly from their website these days if you do not have a local representative handy. Avon has 18 different brochures issued throughout the year - or their stock can be viewed online. Christian Lacroix s a French fashion designer who teamed up with Avon in 2007 to create the fragrance 'Rouge' (as well as an aftershave 'Noir'). More fragrances have followed since.

===The Product===

'Sensual Rouge is a light floral chypre composition with intriguing notes of white pepper, orange and silky cashmere. The top notes are orange peel, white pepper and red peony. The heart unites osmanthus flower, Japanese plum blossom and water lily, tulips and Spanish carnation. The woody-musk base is composed of cashmere wood, patchouli leaves, and musk. The perfume was created in 2007 and is a result of claboration of Avon and French couture fashion designer Christian Lacroix.' (www.fragrantica.com)Comes in a red cellophane wrapped box.which has dark scrolling of floral shapes and black lettering.50 mls and made in Poland.73% denat, flammable.Inside the box is red with black patterning and is lined with black card.Very heavy and dumpy tear drop shaped glass bottle in deep red and with a plastic deep red cap, even the spray part is red.

===Cost===

Full price is £20 but now on offer for £12.

===My Opinion===

This perfume looks expensive even before you open the box - as it is so heavy and well packaged.The box is dark red with a sort of floral lace effect pattern in black. Inside the box is a card liner and the bottle is will protected.The bottle itself is super. It is very heavy glass and in a sort of teardrop shape. The bottle is so solid because the base is over half an inch thick - making it heavy and durable. The teardrop shape fits into the hand nicely and is very tactile. The glass itself is a deep red shade and this would look very attractive adorning any dressing table.The perfume itself smells expensive and is long lasting. It does not smell at all 'cheap' like a few of Avon's other fragrances.This is a rich and semi heavy sort of aroma that lasts really well. Though saying it is heavy does not mean that it is overpowering or cloying at all.It is a powerful fragrance not in the least light or floral. It is deep and rich and warm - probably more suited to the cooler months and evenings out - but not too overpowering so you could wear it in the daytime if you wished.The musk base probably gives it its deep longlasting notes but I would not say it smelt musky at all - just rich and expensive.Avon's website states 'a burst of exuberant spices unveils a floral heart wrapped in the most sensual cashmere woods.Chypre, sensual'.Worth a try as you can always return it under Avon's guarantee if you find its not for you.

===Star Rating===

5 stars

===Would I Recommend?===

Yes.

===Website===

www.avonshop.co.uk

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A beautiful perfume for a fraction of the cost of other designer fragrances

I wrote a very negative review on Avon's True Glow yesterday but today am telling you about one of their perfumes which I love, Christian Lacroix Rouge. It was launched in 2007 as an more upmarket alternative to the standard Avon fragrance range, I'd actually never heard of Christian Lacroix before but he is (apparently) an extremely well known French high fashion designer.

The gorgeous red bottle with black lace design definitely looks French and fashionable, if that's not too much of a sweeping generalisation! It has a gorgeous teardrop shape with a chunky red lid, apart from the colour it's actually quite a basic bottle in design but it still manages to be very striking when displayed with other perfume bottles. The actual box the perfume comes in is the same gorgeous colour and design, making this a perfect Crimbo pressie as there is nothing about it that screams 'Avooooooooon!'.

Rouge is a very heavy perfume, I love the cloud I'm enveloped in after a couple of long sprays but I appreciate the strong scent might not suit everyone. There's something about the initial burst of fragrance which reminds me of the original Poison, there are no matching notes between the two perfumes so I think it's the heaviness that pulls them together in my mind. The perfume is spicy from the very beginning, there are some vague peppery tones but these come through mainly to warm the perfume rather than help the fragrance along in their own right.

It has a citrus fragrance to begin with, again warmed by the pepper, and this quickly develops into a gorgeous mixture of floral and citrus. The perfume keeps a soft zesty fragrance for a while, and at the same time it's developing a more woody tone which gives Rouge a very sexy musky fragrance. This perfume is always changing, it's blended better than other perfumes I own which cost three times more! The notes are all beautifully defined during the life of the perfume, but they mingle beautifully too to create a rich and very feminine fragrance. And when I say feminine I don't mean pretty white daisies and fresh linen tones, Rouge is a bit of a slag (ha!) and will make you smell sexy and vampish rather than girly!

Rouge has an excellent lifespan, I guesstimate each long double-spraying will last for at least eight hours with a good six hours of actually being smellable by both me and people around me. After that I lose track of the fragrance in the air but can still smell it quite heavily when I sniff my wrist, or wherever I sprayed that day! The floral fragrance is what lingers for longest, but this is tied in with the musk to soften the effect of the bouquet of five or six different flowery notes.

There's nothing I dislike about this perfume and probably wear it for more nights out than any of my other more expensive perfumes thanks to its longevity. It will hold its own against any other fragrance in the room and I've had plenty of compliments about my perfume while wearing Rouge, with a couple of women I know of actually purchasing a bottle after my recommendation. It's hard to believe this has come from an Avon perfume house as it's so different to anything I've ever smelled before, let alone anything I've smelled in the Avon book before! If you look out for special offers you can grab a good deal on Rouge, at the moment it costs £12 for a 100ml bottle (reduced from £20) but other recent promotions I've seen have included free gifts such as red leather-look make up bags or free body products when you purchase the Eau de Parfum.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A great perfume for anytime.

The first Christian Lacroix perfume I received was for Christmas a few years ago, it was the Christian Lacroix Rouge and I loved it from day one. I have since gone on to buy another perfume in this range which is equally as good(previously reviewed) Christian Lacroix perfumes are certainly one to try. Christian Lacroix is a French Designer who created this perfume exclusively for Avon and it was released in October 2007, not only can you by Rouge in perfume form but also in various moisturisers and bath products.

Appearance

The perfume comes in a deep red pear shaped glass bottle. On the front of the bottle are the words Christian Lacroix, Rouge written in slightly raised black lettering, this is surrounded by a black pattern again slightly raised and in black. The bottle has a small sliver spray button on top, the spray allows the perfume to be dispensed in a fine mist, this is covered by a chunky red lid made of a plastic type material. The bottle comes in a bred box with basically the same pattern on it, the only difference is on the back of the box are the ingredients. I cannot give too much detail on the box as this was quickly dispensed with and the bottle was stood on my chest of draws. Whilst the bottle is quite simple in design, I liked the unusual shape and it is elegant enough to have on display.

Personally I find it very difficult to pick out one fragrance in this perfume, it is definatly has a musky fragrance to it and I feel that this is the most dominant. As for Orange Peel and white pepper I cannot actually smell any hint of these when wearing this perfume. If I was to describe the fragrance I would have to say that musk is the fragrance that is most noticeable. I have read on the Christian Lacroix website that this is a floral perfume, however I have to disagree with that for me in no way is this a floral, flowery perfume, but that's just my opinion.

Staying Power

Christina Lacroix Rouge has excellent staying power, I can apply this perfume first thing in the morning nad can smell it for the rest of the day. Obviously the fragrance does fade slightly as the day goes on buy I can still tell that I am wearing perfume by the end of the day. Some perfumes when you first apply them have quite a harsh strong fragrance, this is not the case with this perfume, when first applied the fragrance is just right not what I would consider strong but not too weak either.

Occasion

Everyone's opinion on what occasion a perfume is suitable for is going to be different, but personally for me I think that this perfume is suitable for any occasion. I wear Christian Lacroix for work, a day shopping or even a night out. I find this a very versatile perfume, the strength of the perfume is just right meaning that it is not too overpowering to wear for work, but is noticeable enough to wear on a night out. This is a perfume you would get a lot of wear out of.

Price

This is a product that was made exclusively for Avon however I have since seen it for sale on various online site. If you buy this perfume from Avon it will cost £20 but is currently on offer for £15, this price is for a 100ml bottle. Compared to some perfumes in my collection I think that this is very reasonably priced, the perfume is long lasting, I found that my first bottle lasted several months with regular wear.

Overall this is a perfume I would recommend, I would say it would be suitable for any to wear. It has a lovely soft musky fragrance, is long lasting and suitable for any occasion.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Well worth a try

I usually turn my nose up at Avon perfumes - lets be honest they usually smell like they cost exactly what they did. They can be sweet and cloying. HOWEVER, this one is different, it smells very expensive and it is the perfume I turn to when I want to feel sexy. I isually wear davidoff obsession so it might be similar to that for anyone who is thinking of trying a new perfume. It has a very musky, distinctive smell and I enjoy wearing it on a night out. I was so impressed with this perfume that I recently tried the bodywash/shower gel from the same range but I have to say....don't bother this does smell cheap, not at all like the perume, even if you layer up the products in your beuty regieme.

The bottle is nice- it looks expensive on your dresser , its a nice heavy red glass bottle with a easy to get off top. I will definately be buying more from my local avon lady when mine runs out.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A five star feminine fragrance from Avon..!

I am a big perfume fan, but am seldom persuaded to try out something new, much preferring to stick to my old favourites! This was changed recently though, as I came across a lovely perfume from Avon, which was brought to my attention when I was giving out some testers to some of regular customers!

The perfume in question is the Avon Christian Lacroix Rouge Eau de Parfum spray and I was so impressed by the fragrance that I ended up using some of the little testers myself, eventually giving in and purchasing the full-sized bottle of the perfume. This cost me £16 for a 50ml bottle, although the usual brochure price of the fragrance is £20.

The packaging is the first thing that struck me about the perfume after its arrival from Avon. Packaged in a small cardboard box, both the bottle and the outer cardboard packaging have quite an opulent-looking design, with a black sort of 'emblem' design on a rich, red-coloured background. The shape of the bottle too, is quite eye-catching and pretty to look at, with a round, bulb-shaped bottom to the end of the bottle, that tapers up towards the top where there is a nozzle type spray to allow the perfume to be applied. I think because the bottle is so pretty, it looks nice when adorning my shelf, and I also think it makes the product ideal as a Christmas or birthday present! (Take note, boyfriends and husbands!) ;-)

The scent of the perfume is strong enough that I was quite aware of it as soon as I removed the red-coloured plastic cap from the top of the bottle. The initial scent that could be detected quite easily is one that I would describe as being very feminine and quite strong.

There are two things about this perfume that are quite important to note, in my opinion. The first point is that I find that the fragrance changes quite a lot once it has dried on my skin. This is just as well really, because I find that the initial scent of the perfume is really not to my taste if I am being honest. Once it has been applied though, and has been given sufficient drying time, the perfume changes completely and becomes much more subtle to wear. Please bear this in mind because if you happen to sniff the perfume from the bottle, the chances are you won't be overly impressed with the scent. If you apply it to your skin though, and give it a fair chance, I think that more of us would be more inclined to really like the scent.

The second point to note is that I have used several perfumes from the Avon range in the past, as being a representative I have had great access to a lot of fantastic deals and bargains over the years. I have found in the past that some of the perfumes really don't agree with me and at least two of them have brought me out in a rash! The Christian Lacroix 'Rouge' scent not only caused no irritation whatsoever to my (overly) sensitive skin, but I also found that the scent wasn't so over-powering or 'heavy' that it gave me one of my terrible headaches the way that so many other perfumes do! (And I would point out that in all fairness it is not only Avon perfumes that are capable of bringing on this side-effect!)

The scent itself has quite a 'floral' tone to it when it is first applied, and to be honest this does remain in the scent, but it most definitely subsides once the perfume has dried on my skin, and this initial floral-like scent remains as a bit of an undertone only. The next scent that comes through is very difficult to describe, but I find the main essence of the fragrance has a bit of a fruity tone to it, although this is very feminine, and really quite subtle.

The fragrance lasts on my skin for several hours after it has been applied, and by this time I find that the overall scent is quite musky with a sweeter aroma to it.

The perfume is very versatile to wear, in that it is appropriate for both daytime and evening wear. I find that this is not always the case with other perfumes that I use on a regular basis, and I like the fact that the Avon Christian Lacroix can be alternated to suite whatever occasion as I see fit.

I find that the scent is not so heavy to be confined to only being suitable for evening use, and in actual fact I would consider the fragrance as my everyday perfume as I find it is so pleasant to wear and is subtle enough to be suitable for this purpose.

Furthermore, I like the fact that the perfume has some co-ordinating products available in the same range, such as a shower gel, which costs £5 for a 150ml bottle, and a body lotion which is the same price and size. This really appeals to me as I like to use co-ordinating products for a special occasion or for an evening out. I have been so impressed by the Eau de Parfum spray that I have actually ordered myself the shower gel to use for all those special occasions over the festive period.

All in all I really recommend this fragrance, and can only award it full marks. I would go so far as to say I am well and truly converted in terms of my 'preferred' perfume and will continue to buy the scent as well as recommend it to my customers.

I know that the fragrance is more expensive than other perfumes from the Avon range, but believe me when I say that this one is worth every penny.

The Christian Lacroix Rouge Eau de Parfum spray is available to buy from your local Avon representative, where the usual price is £20 for a 50ml bottle. Alternatively, the product can be purchased online from www.avonshop.co.uk.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A Gorgeous Perfume From Christian Lacroix For Avon

When my mate gave me a bottle of Christian Lacroix perfume because she didn't like it I was well chuffed at having such a gorgeous bottle and it was just a bonus that it smelled so good. I was wearing it for weeks until I realised it had come from the Avon book because it's loads better blended than most of their cheapo smelling perfumes and smells like a proper designer perfume.

Its more floral than most of my perfumes because I like them with sweet candy tones but it has a sophisticated and grown up smell that has a nice sweetness about it but nothing like most perfumes designed for people my age.

The perfume is quite strong when you first spray some on but it mellows down after a few minutes and makes a kind of cloud around me and a few different scents come through in the perfume. I like the slight spicy smell in the perfume that gives it a hint of men's aftershave even though it's obviously a womens perfume. I think there is a bit of a citrus smell in there as well but this isn't always there and only comes through when I've been wearing the perfume for an hour or more anyway.

The perfume is called Rouge and i think this is a perfect name for it because it's a sexy smell and it reminds me a bit of an old perfume my nan used to wear that her sister used to buy her from France. My mum reckons that's just my imagination though because the bottle looks French and so is the designer.

The perfume lasts for a while even though perfume normally fades right quick on me. I reckon I get about four hours wear from the perfume and even after that there are some tones that linger for longer such as the floral aromas but when I am using this perfume I have normally reapplied it by then to get the warm spicy scent back.

At the minute this perfume costs £20 in the Avon book and that is brill value for a perfume that is 100% better than any other Avon perfume and that is probably because Avon don't actually make it!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

An overall good scent

Avon teemed up with Christian Lacroix and put together the scent called Rouge in a incredibly stylish bottle in a fantastic colour that you would want to give it the best place in the house for display. They also launched a version for men in a grey bottle.

I have tried a other perfumes in the past from Avon but this one has particularly stuck in my mind and greatly enjoyed and also my husband gave it the seal of approval.

The smell of it is very sexy and mysterious . It has a natural air to it of distinct sensuality. Is not really over powering so much that you can't find yourself in it anymore. The heart of the scent is floral and sensual cashmere. You can detect citrus and spices. I would also describe it as an woody and spicy perfume with some fresh notes.

I think a sexy woman can easily wear this in the day time as much as in the evening. Its fragrance is long last, I can still smell it on myself even after 10 hours especially that the scent lingers on my hair.

Bad points:As beautiful as it is, I find the bottle a bit slippery, is hard to get a hold of it especially if you have moisturised hands.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Perfect present

With Mothers day approaching I was looking for some inspiration. Perfume is always a nice treat for my mum and she likes to try different ones from time to time. I had a copy of the current Avon catalogue and she'd spotted the Christian Lacroix Rouge bottle in there and the description sounded quite nice.

I was lucky to be able to order a sample before I committed to buying the full size bottle as it's always nice to test whether a perfume 'sits' well on your skin (most CK perfumes smell like washing up liquid on me which is a real shame).

The perfume has been developed by Laurent Le Guernec and Carlos Benaim who are renowned perfumers and includes notes of white pepper, orange, red peony, plum blossom, water lilly, cashmere woods and patchouli.

According to Avon the perfume is a "floral chypre with a burst of exuberant spices unveiling a floral heart wrapped in the most sensual cashmere woods"

(nb - the word chypre was first used in perfumery by François Coty, who created an influential perfume of that name in 1917. Modern chypre perfumes have various citrus, herbaceous and floral notes, but all tend to have a warm and woody theme).

It comes in an eau de parfum which is good value for money at £20.00 for 50ml. The bottle is pear shaped and is a seductive fiery red colour with a lacy black design, a classic 'boudoir' look.

The perfume itself is definitely seductive and velvety with hints of musky citrus, it's fresh but woody and you can definitely smell the patchouli and the flowery blossom lifts the perfume to a more delicate level.

As it's an eau de parfum it's a stronger scent than Avon's usual range of fragrances and it lasts a good amount of time. Along with the fragrance you can also get a body lotion and shower gel.

If you're really lucky you can pick up the whole set for around £20.00 in the promotions Avon sometimes hold.

My mum was wearing a tester of this the other day in Costa's and much to her delight, was complimented on her beautiful fragrance, the woman insisted she tell her what it was and was totally shocked that it was from the Avon catalogue. She was told 'it smells very expensive' which pleased my mum no end!!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Great pretty smell

This fragrance was launched aroun October last year by the famous designer Christian Lacroix. It was brought out exclusively for Avon and as far as I know has been a best seller.

You can only buy this in 50ml bottles and the bottle design is pretty nice. The glass is quite thick and the bottle is a tear-shape, with a rectangular lid. I think a round lid would have looked a bit better, but the lid isn't that important to me.

So the important part - the smell. It's hard to describe the scent of this. It does smell quite strong. The blurb in an Avon book and the website says "A burst of exuberant spices unveils a floral heart wrapped in the most sensual cashmere woods" Don't think that explains it that good, It is a spicy, yet exotic smell. The smell lasts for ages and i've had many a compliment about this smell.

You can also buy a Body Lotion and Shower gel in this range. These are currently prices at £5 each.

So the price of the actual product. This can range for £18 for the product, and sometimes you get the shower gel/ body lotion free, or the perfume is discounted to £14.

A highly recommended scent, which smells expensive

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

You know you want to smell like me!

I am a perfume fiend! I love loads of different perfumes but at the moment this is the one I am using most of the time. I was given it for Christmas and to start with I wasn't hugely enamoured but now I love it.

There isn't one family of perfumes that I stick to exclusively, I like just about anything as long as it isn't to floral or old fashioned.

This is a fruity scent and reminds me of spicy oranges and grapefruit. It is not sweet just zesty and fresh.

The website says - A burst of exuberant spices unveils a floral heart wrapped in the most sensual cashmere woods. Chypre, sensual. - I wouldn't personally call this floral.

This perfume, yes perfume not EDT but EDP instead is only available through Avon, it is usually £18 for 50 ml but is at the moment on offer at just £15.

I don't think this lasts as long as some other perfumes, it is hard to detect on my skin (to me at least) after six or so hours.

I have had plenty of comments on this scent, strangers have asked what it is because they like it so much.

I highly recommend it, it is something a little different and one that I will get another bottle of in future!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Absolutley Fabulous Perfume!

It's guaranteed that every Birthday and Christmas my mother buys me and my sisters Avon perfume. Some of them have been nice, some OK, and some not to my taste. The first one I have received and really loved though, is Christian Lacroix Rouge.

~The Bottle~

Call me superficial, but I think, where perfume is concerned, the bottle is almost as important as the fragrance inside and I love having lots of beautiful perfume bottles on my dressing table. This deep red bottle with it's black swirling pattern looks a lot more expensive than it is, and I think it has a sort of French, Moulin Rouge-style sexy glamour to it - it's certainly not a bottle I would be embarrassed to have on display. The colour of the bottle is a lot deeper red than that of the picture above, and I love it's almost pear like shape with contrasting oval lid. It also comes boxed in a lovely red box, with a black embossed design, which is brilliant for giving (or if you're lucky like me, receiving!) as a gift.

~The Designer~

The name Christian Lacroix always reminds me of Jennifer Saunders' character Edina, in Absolutely Fabulous. She would parade around in an item of garish clothing that could only possibly look good on a 17 year old supermodel and no-one else, declaring 'It's Lacroix, sweetie, Lacroix.' So, having learned his name through a 90's sitcom, the only other thing I really know about the French designer, was that he designed the uniforms for the staff of Air France, a useless fact I have obviously picked up from a fashion magazine at some point.

As I said at the beginning of the review, I have had mixed experiences with Avon perfumes, and not knowing much of the designer, or having tried any of the other fragrances he has put his name to, I wasn't sure what to expect from this product.

~The Fragrance~

Avon describe this perfume as 'A burst of exuberant spices unveils a floral heart wrapped in the most sensual cashmere woods'. I must admit, if I had merely read this description, and not actually smelled the perfume, I probably would have rejected it. I do not normally go for a spicy or woody scents such as this one, either finding them too heavy or too masculine for my tastes. I am very much drawn to light, sweet, citrus fragrances, so it is interesting that I am such a fan of this, and one of the reasons I would suggest requesting a tester from your Avon rep, even if you do not think this will be for you.

When you first spray the perfume, you will probably first detect a quite sharp fragrance - a mix, I think, of the sharp citrus top notes, mixed with a rather heady, floral scent. Once this has slightly subsided you can start to detect a quite noticeable spiciness to the fragrance, but it is still somewhat overshadowed by a quite heavy floral smell.

Once the top notes of the fragrance settles a little, you get to the middle (or heart) notes, which I think is really where this perfume really comes into its own. The sweet orange scent is still quite noticeable, however it is now mixed with a combination of spices, and although Jasmine is not listed in the perfumes ingredients, I'm sure I can detect it there somewhere.

Once the perfume has settled onto the skin, you start to get the base notes through, which are quite woody, but still with a hint of sweetness that stop them from being too masculine.

Overall, I would describe this as quite a warm, spicy scent, however as summer approaches, I find myself wearing it less and less, as I feel it is more suited to the winter months, and a bit too heavy for warmer weather.

~Staying Power~

This fragrance does last quite well, I rarely have to re-apply it. The only slight gripe I have is that my nose gets used to it quickly, so I don't notice it after some time, unless I hold my wrist to my face, when it is quite noticeable, but I guess you get used to any fragrance after a time. It is only available in Eau De Parfum, as opposed to Eau De Toilette, which means it will last longer.

~Price~

A 50ml bottle of this perfume costs just £18 an is only available from an Avon rep or online, via www.avonshop.co.uk

I think this price is very reasonable and the scent is well worth the money. I received my bottle for Christmas, and although I use it most days, there is still about a quarter left.

~Conclusion~

As I said earlier in the review, even if reading the description, you don't think this is your sort of thing, at least consider requesting a sample of this. It really is gorgeous, and despite it having quite spicy, woody tones, the combination of orange and florals, mean that it is neither overpowering or masculine. Well worth a try, and at a great price!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Goegeous citrus/floral/fruity scent which is quite similar to Clinique Aromatics

Christian Lacroix ~ Rouge ~ Eau De Parfum

My local Avon representative gave me a sample of Christian Lacroix Rouge perfume to sample in September last year. I fell in love with the scent of the perfume almost instantly and decided to purchase a bottle of it; I love the scent that much that I have already polished off three bottles of it and have a fourth one on the way. The fragrance was launched in September 2007 in partnership with Avon; Avon currently sell Rouge for the price of £18 for a 50ml bottle. There is also a male version available too and this is called Noir which smells just as nice as the female version.

As you can see from the picture at the top of this review the bottle of perfume is quite chunky and resembles a the shape of a tear drop and has a lovely chunky lid on top. I really like the design and colour of the bottle because it looks lovely sitting on top of my dressing table. I think that the deep red colour of the bottle reflects the scent of the perfume to some extent, because the scent is a warm and inviting one.

The Scent

As soon as you spray the scent you can immediately detect a few different fragrance notes, the fragrance has a warm spicy scent at first and then this spiciness is accompanied with a citrus fruit and floral aroma. The spicy aroma which I could detect was in fact white pepper, I usually don't wear scents which have spicy notes in them because I find them too strong and overpowering, I think the main reason I like this scent as much is because the spiciness isn't strong or overpowering and it is masked somewhat with orange and red peony top notes.

The top notes of this fragrance seemed to last for quite sometime before they gradually faded, the white pepper top note lingered a lot longer than the orange and red peony notes; I would say that the white pepper note lingered for approximately 4 hours or so where as the red peony and orange only lingered for two possibly three hours.

The top notes of the fragrance seem to blend really well with the heart notes giving the scent a bright exotic fruity aroma. I really like the heart notes of this fragrance because they are fresh, vibrant and fruity but they are still accompanied by a very subtle spicy kick which is most probably the white pepper still lingering. I was actually quite surprised by the middle notes because I could smell a fruity cocktail of apricots, peach and apple which had a slight floral undertone; I thought that the fragrance possibly had middle notes of peach, apricot and apple but the fragrance description doesn't have any of these notes in them. The heart notes of this scent are made up from Osmanthus flower, Japanese plum blossom and Amazonian water lily.

The middle notes of the scent linger for quite sometime, I would say that the middle notes linger for approximately four hours before they gradually blend with the base notes of the fragrance. The base notes of this perfume are quite woody and musky but not at all overpowering or cloying. They woody musky aroma seems to compliment the fruity heart notes of the perfume perfectly but at the same time giving the scent more depth and body. Most of the time I am quite fussy when musk is involved in a fragrance because it can sometimes make the perfume smell too powdery or too sweet but in this instance the blend of musk is subtle yet sweet. Again the base notes of this scent seem to last just as long as the top and heart ones do giving the whole scent long lasting staying power without the scent being too overpowering or in your face.

Osmanthus Flower is a native flowering tree which is native to China, it is also known as the Tea Olive in the United States. The Osmanthus Flower has a very fresh vibrant fruity scent which has hints of Apricot.

Japanese Plum The heart of the Japanese plum is captured in this exotic fruit medley. Notes of tart kiwi, mandarin orange and sun-kissed peach begin this aromatic blend leading to a heart of apple blossoms, night- blooming jasmine and lily. The base is a musk accord accented with fragrant rose petals.

Fragrance Notes

Christian Lacroix Rouge is described as having ~

Top Notes of white pepper, orange and red peonyThe top notes are the first phase of the perfume; they are usually the most volatile and evaporate from the skin very quickly. The top notes are usually very light and refreshing and their scent usually lasts for anything between five and ninety minutes.

Middle (Heart) notes of Osmanthus flower, Japanese plum blossom and Amazonian water lilyThe middle notes of a scent are therapeutic and balancing oils, sometimes the middle notes are often referred to as the heart notes of a scent. The middle notes are not always evident and can take between thirty and sixty minutes to develop on your skin, and they last for anything between two to four hours

Base notes of cashmere woods, patchouli and muskThe base notes are the longest lasting notes in a fragrance, most perfumes use the same base notes. This is because they give the perfume more staying power and stop the top and middle notes from evaporating from your skin as quickly.

Staying Power

Christian Lacroix Rouge has excellent staying power mainly because it is an Eau De Parfum fragrance. Eau De Parfum fragrances have better staying power than Eau De Toilettes because they contain higher amounts of perfume oils, Eau De Parfum last any time between 6 and 12 hours on your skin.

When I am wearing this perfume I only have to apply it once per day, I can apply it at 8am before I go to work and when I get home about 6pm the fragrance is still lingering on my skin, I can even still smell the perfume on my wrist at 11pm before I go to bed, so this perfume has excellent staying power lasting well over 14 hours. The blends of fragrance notes in this perfume are perfect and compliment one another nicely, in this perfume you can smell fruitiness, floral, spicy, musky and woody notes, so there's quite a wide range of them; I think this is the main reason I like the fragrance as much.

Christian Lacroix Rouge is a 50ml Eau De Parfum which means that it contains between 10-20% perfume oils. An Eau De Parfum is more expensive than an Eau de Toilette because it contains more perfume oils. Generally an Eau De Parfum should last anytime between 6-12 hours possibly more.

Perfume Information

All perfumes smell slightly different on different people, and this is due to us having different oils in our skin. The staying power of a scent also differs from person to person because we have different types of skin oils too. I said in the review that this perfume lasts for about three or four hours on me, but it could last a longer or shorter amount of time on you.

If you like the sound of this perfume then I advise that you go into your local perfume store and test it before you buy it. When testing the scent spray it onto your wrist and wear it for a few hours before you decide whether you like it or not, because the scent changes the longer you wear it due to the different notes which make up the fragrance.

When testing a perfume don't smell the scent on a perfume card because it might smell lovely on the card and when you buy it and wear it at home it might smell totally different and you might not like the scent you are wearing. I made this mistake a few times in the past and wasted £30 on a fragrance which I didn't wear again and put in the bin.

Price and Availability

You can purchase Christian Lacroix Rouge Eau De Parfum from Avon and it costs £18 for a 50ml bottle. Avon sometimes has this perfume on special offer where you can get free gifts if you buy the perfume. The last two bottles I bought I received a Christian Lacroix make up bag and a tub of Anew face lift cream, lip gloss and a mascara so it is a good idea to have a look at the Avon catalogue or website regularly so you don't miss out on a great offer.

My Opinion

I really love the scent of Rouge because it is fresh, woody, earthy and fruity. I think it is a deep, warm full bodied scent which is suitable to wear on any occasion. I'm sure that most people will like the scent of Rouge because it has a wide mix of fragrance notes which aren't overpowering or cloying. I think that the fragrance is very similar to Clinique Aromatics Elixir because of its full bodied spicy aroma.

Rouge is a very flexible scent and can be worn n any occasion it just depends on the wearers own personal opinion. I prefer to use this as a casual scent because the fragrance lasts throughout the whole day without needing reapplied.

You can also purchase Christian Lacroix Noir which is the male equivalent of Rouge. My husband has Noir and I love the scent of it too. Noir costs £18 for a 50ml bottle too and is sometimes on special offer in the Avon catalogue and on their website.

For more information on Avon or any of their products then you can visit their website which is ~ www.avonshop.co.uk

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

??

I always love trying new perfumes so when i was flicking through my avon book i decided to try this one.

**Packaging**Box-This comes in a red box with a nice pattern on it. I would say that the packaging is quite sturdy.Bottle-Again a lovely red colour with Christian lacroix written clearly on the front.

**Smell**This is described as being "a burst of citrus and spices unveils a floral heart wrapped in the most sensual cashmere woods" . I think this is accurate, this perfume has defiantly got a floral smell tonight. I would say that this is very feminine/womanly -not for teenagers but at the same time not something you would expect on a really old person.

**When to wear/how long it lasts**I would say this would be a good perfume to wear on a date, probably at night. It does last so you wouldn't need to take it with you and top up.

Another thing i like about it is since it is avon not everyone will have a bottle.